Please read the following terms and conditions thoroughly before finalizing your purchase with Blue Onyx Travel.

1. Our prices do not include airfare, unless otherwise specified. We can happily point you the right direction if you ask for advice in finding affordable airfare, but at the present time the tours for purchase on our site do not include airfare, except in the case of intra-tour travel that is specifically mentioned in our tour listings (from Venice to Rome, for instance).
2. Tours in English.  At the present time, we conduct all of our tours in English.
3. Passports and Visas.  You and whomever you may be booking a tour slot for are responsible for conforming to any and all policies regarding passports and visas for the country or countries you plan to visit on our tours.  If you should get turned away from the country you wish to visit for not following that country’s passport or visa policy, there shall be no refund or credit whatsoever.  If you should have a question about the passport or visa policy of a specific country, please email us.
4. Paid in full.  Unlike many other companies which only require a deposit to book a tour slot, we usually require our guests to pay in full for their tour slots at the time of booking.  However, since anyone booking a tour slot is going to have to pay in full eventually, we feel that this policy spares our guests any unwanted surprises from a random large amount charged on their credit cards on some arbitrary date.  Furthermore, our tours generally cost less than commensurate tours from other companies.  Moreoever, Blue Onyx Travel has a much more flexible refund policy than other travel and touring companies do.
5. The 45 day window rule.  45 days or less before the tour begins, 50% of any payments made on any tour slot become non-refundable.  The remaining 50% of your payment is refundable, minus a small processing fee, or fully creditable.  This is a more flexible policy than 90% of tour companies.
6. Free transfer/credit period. Outside the 45 day window, 100% of any payments you have made on your chosen tour thus far are transferable to any other Blue Onyx tour (within 24 months of your original tour), for any reason.  This is also a more flexible policy than 90% of tour companies.  Please send an email to blueonyxtravel@gmail.com with your name, tour title of original tour, dates or original tour, tour title of new tour, and dates of new tour in order to transfer your tour credit.
7. The 15-day window rule.  Fifteen days or less before the start date of your tour, any payment you have made with regard to your tour slot is 100% non-refundable and 100% non-creditable.
8. Cancellation Fee.  Any and all refund requests shall incur a $30 processing fee per person, per tour, if the refund is approved.  There is no processing fee for refund or credit requests that don’t get approved.
9. Cancellation and/or Credit Protocols.  CANCELLATION OR CREDIT REQUESTS MUST BE RECEIVED VIA EMAIL, to blueonyxtravel@gmail.com. Once a refund or credit request is received, you will be notified of its status within 3 business days. If approved, you will receive a refund check, or credit for another tour, within 3-5 additional business days. In your cancellation request, please include your name, the name and dates of your tour, your email, cell phone number, and the address where you would like your check mailed.
10. Medical or Family Emergency Exception. The afore-mentioned deadlines and policies regarding refunds and credits may be waived in cases of family or medical emergencies.  Please note that all claims of family or medical emergencies will need to be accompanied by appropriate documentation and reviewed by a Blue Onyx Travel supervisor. Blue Onyx Travel maintains the sole discretion in determining if your family or medical situation warrants a refund or credit.
11. Tour inclusions. All of the tour inclusions are listed in each individual tour under “What’s Included”. The vast majority of our tours include a Tour Leader who handles all of the logistical aspects of the tour. Also included, where mentioned, are local experts who take our groups on guided tours of historically or culturally significant places. Assuming 3 meals per day, around 20-30% of meals are included on our Value tours,  40-50% of meals are included on our Standard tours, and 60-75% of meals are included on our Luxury tours.  On all of our Standard or Luxury tours, transportation to and from the main airport are included, in addition to transportation back to the starting point of the tour (many other tour companies don’t offer this).
12. Tour exclusions. As previously stated, our tours generally do not include airfare either arriving to our tour starting point, or departing from the final stop on our tour.  Our tours also do not include optional tips for the bus driver or Tour Leader, our guests’ independent travels organized during free time, travel insurance, and meals, entry fees, or any activities that are not listed under “What’s Included.”
13. Mandatory Insurance. It is mandatory that each of our guests purchase his or her travel insurance prior to disembarking on one of our tours. A screen shot, photograph (including smart phone picture), or suitable document of said travel insurance must be delivered to us via email not later than 7 days before the tour is scheduled to begin. Failure to adhere to this policy will likely result in the cancellation of your trip. Travel insurance generally costs about 5% to 10% of your total trip. For instance, if you are purchasing a tour slot for yourself which costs $2500, then travel insurance for you can cost as little as $125.  We recommend insuring your trip through insuremytrip.com
14. Modifications of Itinerary.  Insofar as possible, we strictly adhere to our detailed itinerary. However, there are some situations that arise occasionally that force us to make slight modifications. For instance, if our tour group is scheduled to take a tour of a local winery, and there is a dangerous thunderstorm in the area, then obviously we would have to postpone, or cancel this element of the tour.  Modifications of the itinerary in these types of situations is not cause for a refund or tour credit.
15. Substitution of Hotel.  On rare occasions, we will have cause to book a hotel that is different from the one that is stated in the itinerary.  However, when this occurs, the substituted hotel will always be of the same quality, or better, and in the same area.
16. Physical Activity of Tours.  All of our tours clearly state their level of physical activity, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most active and 1 being the least active. Please make sure you are physically ready to complete the tour which you have chosen for yourself.  Most of our tours involve a generous amount of walking and stair climbing. Moreover, our guests will generally be expected to roll and/or carry their own baggage, sometimes for a few minutes on uneven ground, en route to a hotel or other destination. (Occasionally, the Tour Leader or a hotel employee may be on hand to help our guests carry their luggage.)
17. Guest Conduct and Behavior.  The vast majority of the time, we expect to experience little to no problems whatsoever with regard to the behavior of our guests. However, we feel it is incumbent upon us to make it perfectly clear that there are certain rules that we require our guests to follow. First, we expect our guests to show courtesy and respect not only to other members of the tour, but also to Blue Onyx Travel staff, hotel staff, and restaurant staff.  No loud, crude, or rude behavior.  Furthermore, drug use and public drunkenness are illegal in most countries (including the United States), and they are absolutely unacceptable on any of our tours.  Also, no smoking or vaping is allowed on the bus and in any of our hotels. Additionally, we require our guests to adhere to the itinerary set forth in the tour description.  Showing up late to the tour bus when the rest of the guests are already on the bus, ready to depart for an excursion, is frowned upon.  Showing up chronically late over and over again is highly disruptive.  Disruptive behavior and/or failure to comply with our rules could result in the immediate cancellation of the rest of your tour with Blue Onyx Travel, without refund or credit.  Regarding issues with the tour, If one of our guests has a complaint or suggestion regarding something that has happened on a tour, we would graciously ask that our guests relay these concerns privately, and calmly, to the Tour Leader.
18. Release Agreement.  By purchasing a slot or slots on one of our tours, you are expressly stating that you have read thoroughly and have accepted and agreed to our Release and Waiver Agreement.
19. What to bring. On our tours, we allow one carry-on bag/luggage (roughly, 22” by 15” by 9”) and one personal item such as a purse or laptop bag. However, please note that our carry on restrictions with regard to our bus tours may or may not coincide with the carry on restrictions of your chosen airline carrier, either before or after the tour. Airline carriers can be very strict with their carry on regulations so please do your research. If you forget to bring a toiletry, there’s a chance that your Tour Leader will have some extra toiletries on hand.
20. Tipping your Tour Leader and/or Bus Driver.  There are no hard and fast rules regarding tipping your tour leader or bus driver.  Nevertheless, the industry standard is roughly 3% of your total tour cost for the bus driver and 3-5% for the Tour Leader.  However, tipping is not mandatory in any way and we won’t be offended if our guests decide not to tip.
21. Have a great time!  Don’t forget that, despite the necessary rules and regulations, “We Think the World of You!”